Ed Davis On Homeland Security Post, Marathon Bombing Investigation

Just months after the Boston Marathon bombings, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis remains in the spotlight. Davis sat down with WGBH's Greater Boston and spoke about the investigation surrounding Amy Lord, rumors of a post as Secretary of Homeland Security, the FBI's investigation of the Tsarnaevs, and the growing number of shootings in the city.

On the Boston police detective who failed to follow-up on Amy Lord's alleged murderer, Edwin Alemany:

This is an aberration. This is not what people should expect. I have tremendous detectives out there ... We've taken steps to make sure that the mistakes that were made don't get made again. We've taken appropriate and immediate action against the detective after looking at the facts and circumstances. We have abundant evidence that he did not follow through properly.

On rumors of a position as Secretary of Homeland Security:

I'm perfectly happy serving the citizens of Boston. I love this job and for the foreseeable future I intend to continue doing it ... That's a very complicated job and a job that's still evolving and it's something that's a difficult job, so I'd have to consider that if in fact it happened, but I'm not gonna speculate on that.

On security cameras in Boston:

We have invested in homeland security cameras that are along the exit routes to the city. Those actually have played an important role in some criminal investigations because we picked up activity on those cameras that have helped us in criminal investigations. I think we need to look at expanding the reach of those cameras into areas we don't have them now. There are very few in the downtown area. The bulk of the evidence that we reviewed in the marathon case was from private cameras or video. I think we probably could do more as far as improving our ability to see things in the downtown area.

We stay within the bounds of what's constitutionally permissible. And, right now, video taping public spaces is constitutionally permissible and I think it hardens the target. It gives a sense to people who would want to attack us that they might not be able to get away with it.

On the escalating number of shootings in the city.

At the beginning of this week, our homicide rates are still lower than they were last year at this time. When you look at the crime numbers for the city, we're down 5 percent in serious crime. So, overall the crime numbers in the city are going in the right direction. The same direction they've been going in for six years now. We're concerned about this upswing in shootings, but we also understand that these things come in clumps and bunches and by the end of the year they tend to even out.

On the Boston mayoral race:

I would not want to work with somebody who wasn't satisfied with what I am doing. There's some incredible people running for mayor that I'd be happy to serve under.